Semi-permanent mosaic



y 1970 R. DE LA RlVE BOX 2,

' SEMI-PERMANENT MOSAIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30. 1967 INVENTOR.Robber'r de la Rive Box MHZ? ATTORNEYS.

July 28, 1970 R. DE LA RIVE BOX 3,522,137

SEMI-PERMANENT MOSAIC Filed March 30. 1967 2 SheetsJ-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Robber? de lo Rive Box BY mw m ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,522,137 SEMI-PERMANENT MOSAIC Robbert de la RiveBox, Norenburg 27, The Hague, Netherlands Filed Mar. 30, 1967, Ser. No.627,201 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Apr. 4, 1966, 6604500Int. Cl. B44c 1/28, 3/12 U.S. Cl. 161-37 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE Semi-permanent mosaic consisting of mosaic elements havingstraight lateral faces and corners. At the corners and in some instancesat locations intermediate the corners protrusions are provided, whichcan be attached to protrusions of other mosaic elements by connectingmeans, which consist of rings surrounding a number of protrusions.

The invention relates to a semi-permanent mosaic, comprising a number ofmosaic elements, having right lateral faces perpendicular on their mainplanes. A similar semipermanent mosaic has been described in the U.S.Pat. 3,178,332.

When applying this known semi-permanent mosaic, the circumferential formof the complete mosaic is determined by a base in which the mosaic hasto be laid. At the same time the necessity of possessing such a baseleads to an increased cost price. Further serious limitations in thepossibilities of the forms and dimensions of the mosaic elements inthemselves are present with a certain form of the base. Finally thesomewhat bent form of the base limits the possibility of enlarging themosaic unlimited with predetermined dimensions of the elements.

The invention aims at removing this being bound to the base form of thesemi-permanent mosaic, under maintenance of a sufiicient stability of aformed mosaic, whereby composing and again decomposing the mosaic canhappen quickly and simply.

The above mentioned purposes are obtained according to the invention bycoupling means of the same type being present at least at the edges,which coupling means are lying outside the main plane of the mosaic and'by connection members cooperating with the coupling means, so that theycan effect a connection at the corners between mosaic elements lyingagainst each other with their lateral faces. With the main plane of themosaic the plane is meant, which is generated when the mosaic elementsform together a linked mosaic. With the invention this is a fiat plane.

Without any objection the mosaic according tothe invention can besuspended or put upright.

A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in that the couplingmeans comprise protrusions being directed away from the main plane ofthe mosaic, some limiting planes of which are flush with the lateralfaces, which lateral faces intersect at the corner where the protrusionhas been mounted, and that the jointing elements around the protrusionsare gripping rings.

Another embodiment of the invention which, however, can only be appliedin special cases, e.g. when the mosaic also at its backside must have anaesthetically acceptable outward appearance as e.g. with transparentmosaics which are hung before windows, consists in that the couplingmeans consist of little holes and that the jointing elements containpins which can be stuck in the little holes, whereby the mosaic elementsaccording to a further elaboration of the invention can have recesseswhich take up the jointing elements. This can e.g. be

realized such, that the jointing elements consist of circular discshaving pins protruding perpendicularly from them and that a recess inthe form of a sector of a circle having the same thickness as the discsis mounted on the places where coupling means are desired.

When applying the invention it is not necessary to place the couplingmeans exclusively at the angular points but they can also be placedalong a side. By reason of this the possibility exists of designing alsolarger mosaic elements and of mounting smaller mosaic elements thereto,when the side of the smaller mosaic elements corresponds with thedistance between a corner and a coupling of a larger element that ismounted along a side. In this way a greater freedom in form anddimensions of-the mosaic elements arises and at the same time thepossibility of laying larger planes of the mosaic, without building upthe latter exclusively out of elementary small arts. p The invention isin the following further elucidated on hand of the accompanying drawing,in which FIG. 1 shows a view obliquely from below of a mosaic elementaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows three examples of connection elements to be applied to thetype of mosaic element of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a perspective view resp. section of such a connectionelement;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 schematically show some mosaics which can be made whenapplying the invention.

In FIG. 1 with 1 a mosaic element is indicated, the main plane of whichis present at the upper side and in FIG. 1 is not visible, which elementis provided with side faces 2 and 3 perpendicular to this main plane. Atthe corners protrusions 4 are present which protrusions have the shapeof a rectangular sector of a truncated cone. The faces 2 and 3 areextended as 2 and 3 at the place of the protrusions and limit the latterat the outer sides.

In FIG. 2 three connecting elements have been drawn. They all have aninner surface 5 in the shape of a (truncated) cone, an end surface 6 anda seizing rim 7. The form in space is more especially visible in FIGS. 3and 4. The inner wall of these connection elements does not always havea complete cone shape but can also have the shape of a cone sector. Sothe jointing element according to FIG. 2a is suitable for e.g. thejointing of two protrusions which each have a section shape of a sectorof a circle of or three protrusions with each a section sector of 60;those of FIG. 2b e.g. for connecting protrusions which each have asector of a circle of 60 or of 90 and one of 30 and FIG. 2c shows acircular symmetrical connection element, e.g. for connecting twoprotrusions with each other which protrusions have a section shape of asector of a circle of 90 and three with a section shape of a sector of acircle of 60.

It will be clear that when the mosaic is provided with little holes andthe connecting elements with pins, an in principle equivalent system isobtained. A disadvantage is, however, that then always sufiicient littleholes must be present at the corners for pressing all pins in them, sothat, when e.g. one has to work with mosaic elements with angles on baseof 60 and angles on base of 90, twelve pins will be necessary which aredisplaced over 30 with respect to each other. Another disadvantage isthe smaller strength with the same dimension of the connection elements.An advantage is, however, that, by letting the connection elements intothe mosaic elements, it is possible to obtain a smooth surface on bothsides whereby the connection elements e.g. can be transparent so thatthey can hardly be noticed any longer.

In FIG. 5 an example of a mosaic has been shown according to theinvention with rectangular mosaic elements having one, two resp. threetimes the surface area of a base square. At distances equalling the sideof the base sqruare coupling elements have been mounted. In the centerregion of the mosaic circular ring members are used and at the edgesring members having an inward section of half a circle.

FIG. 6 shows how when applying the invention also other forms of mosaicelements can mutually cooperate. Here the base element is an equilateraltriangle, of which two form a rhomb and three an equilateral trapezium.A regular hexagon contains consequently six of such ele mentary triangleareas.

Finally FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which further more types ofelements have been shown with which again the hexagon, the triangle andthe trapezium come forward, but at the same time an element forming halfsuch a trapezium and an element which is obtained from such a trapeziumby making the trapezium rectangular. It will without more be clear thatalso rectangles having different dimensions can 'be taken up into theassortment of mosaic elements.

The protrusions have been shown in FIG. 1 as sectors of truncated conesand the jointing rings have at their innerside a corresponding shape. Byreason of this a whole is obtained with which the connection rings caneasily be mounted. They are lying over their whole heights against theprotrusions, which enhances the strength of the connection. The ringspreferably are a little bit elastical and owing to that they clamp theprotrusions firmly against each other. The rings can simply be removed,either with the fingers or with a pair of tongs.

Owing to the small vertical angle of the cone, where the inner surfaceof the ring forms part of, the chance of slipping off of the rings ispractically nought. Nevertheless it is possible to replace the conejacket shape of the protrusions at least partly by a cylindrical shape.Especially when the connection members are of somewhat elasticalmaterial, it is not even necessary that the inner surface of the ringsexactly corresponds with the outer surface of the protrusions. Cylindricprotrusion e.g. can cooperate with rings having at least over part oftheir heights a somewhat conical inner surface.

It is also possible to provide a locking action between the protrusionsand the rings e.g. by giving the rings an inner groove and theprotrusions a corresponding rib. Then the ring can be shifted over thatrib under elastical deformation till the rib falls in the groove of thering. It stands to reason that the groove can also be provided in theprotrusions and the rib on the inner surface of the ring.

Though this seems not to have advantages and the disadvantage that whenapplying the rings the latter cannot 'be turned any more, for betterpressing, it is possible to use instead of the shape of a truncated conea truncated pyramid shape, whereby the inward section 4 of theconnecting rings is a whole or partly regular polygon.

When applying the invention the mosaic elements must contain right sideplanes, making angles with each other.

It will, however, be clear that e.g. with an edge of a mosaic alsoelements can be used, which are partly circumscribed by curved sidefaces.

The invention also comprises mosaic elements suitable for application inthe mosaic as described above.

What I claim is:

1. A semi-permanent mosaic, comprising: a plurality of mosaic elementshaving a main plane and lateral faces perpendicular to the main plane,at least some of said faces being plane faces, the lateral facesintersecting each other at corners by straight edge lines perpendicularto the main plane, said corners having tapered protrusions which havelimiting planes flush with the said intersecting lateral faces; andconnecting means surrounding and holding in contact the protrusions ofthe elements engaging each other at the corners.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the section form of the protrusionsin a plane parallel to the main plane at each corner is a circle sectorhaving its center on the edge line of the lateral faces.

3. The invention of claim 1 in which the connecting means are ringshaving a tapered inner wall.

4. The invention of claim 1 in which at least some mosaic elements areprovided with further protrusions one limiting plane of which is flushwith a lateral face and located intermediate the edge lines limitingsaid lateral face.

5. A mosaic element for use with similar mosaic elements in combinationwith connecting means to form a semi-permanent mosaic, comprising: amain plane and lateral faces perpendicular to the main plane, at leastsome of said lateral faces being plane faces, adjacent plane faces ofsaid element intersecting each other along an edge line perpendicular tothe main plane; protrusions at the intersection of two lateral faces,limited by plane faces flush With said intersecting lateral faces and atapered surface; said protrusions being adapted for insertion intoconnecting means comprising a ring having a tapered inner wall, togetherwith the protrusions of other similar elements to be held in contactwith one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,150,032 9/1964 Rubenstein161-161 JOHN T. GOOLKASIAN, Primary Examiner M. E. MCCAMISH, AssistantExaminer US. Cl. X.R. 16136, 111 l

